Overhead transporting door for garages and the like



8, 1950 G. R. COULSON 2,517,768

OVERHEAD TRANSPORTING DOOR FOR .GARAGES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 51, 19454 Sheets-Sheet l w HY W W Aug. 8, 1950 e. R. couLsoN OVERHEADTRANSPORTING DOOR FOR GARAGES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 51, 1945 4Sheets-Sheet 2 s w l G. R. C ZOULSON OVERHEAD TRANSPORTING DOOR FORGARAGES .AND THE LIKE F11 ed Aug: 51, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet Aug. 8, 1950G- R. COULSON OVERHEAD TRANSPORTING DOOR FOR GARAGES AND THE LIKE' FiledAug. 31, 1945 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 fit". m-.. HA:

Patented Aug. 8, 1950 UNITED OVER-HEAD TRANSPORJTING DOOR FOR GARAGESAND TLIKE Gordon Raymond Coulson, Calgary, Alberta, Canada ApplicationAugusttl, 1945, Serial No. 613,744

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an overhead door for a garage or the like ofthe type in which a door is raised by power-operated means and issupported and guided in tracks extending vertically at each side of thedoor opening and horizontally or substantially horizontally away fromthe top of the door opening. Most arrangements for raising doors of thistype depend on cables or other flexible means connected to the bottom ofthe door and adapted to be wound on a power driven winding drum and theyare subject to the disadvantage that a very considerable force isnecessar-yto open and close the door. Various {proposals have thereforebeen made for counter-balancing .such

doors with the aid of springs, weights and the like, but such mechanismtakes up valuable space near the door opening and moreover does .notdispose of the principal difficulty with known doors of this type,namely that they operate at a great mechanical disadvantage In theinitial stages of lifting a door of the kind described there is requiredto ,be applied to the top of the door in a substantially horizontaldirectiona force component which is greater than that applied in avertically upward direction and, in the later stages of lifting, theforce component directed vertically upwards must .begreater than thatapplied in a substantially horizontal direction. According to thepresent inventionthe total force available is applied simultaneously tothe top and bottom of the door and is automatically distributed betweenthe two in accordance with the resistance to movement of the top orbottom of the door, as the case maybe, the tracks at each side of thedoor extend vertically from a pointnear the bottom of the door openingto a .curve above the door opening and then substantially horizontallyaway from the plane of the door frame so that the weight-of the door maybe partly transierred'ito the ,horizontaltrack in the initial openingmovement of the door, and cable to be wound on a drum is arranged ashereinafter set forth whereby the greatest mechanical efiiciencyresults. The necessity for the provision of reinforcing cables, weights,springs or levers and in different directions during its :transpor.

tation, these points being at each stage of the operation thoseatwhichthe maximum mechanical advantage is obtained.

According to the invention, therefore, there is provided the combinationin an overhead door structure of a door frame defining an opening,tracks at each side of the door-opening extending vertically from apoint near the bottom of the door opening to a curve above the dooropening and then substantially horizontally away from the plane of thedoor frame, a door, bearing members at each side of the doorco-operating with said trackscable windingmeans fixedly mounted near thetop of the door opening, and cable means extended from the top of thedoor to said winding means and, between the top of the door and thewinding means, over at least one pulley mounted at each-of the followingstations: a fixedportion of the structure horizontally removed from thetop of the door opening and at approximately the level of the top of thedoor opening, a fixed portion of thestructure adjacent the top of thedoor-opening,.anda portion of the door adjacent thebottom thereof, thecable means being trained over said pulleys in that order and passingupwardly from the last mentioned station to the winding means.

The cable means preferably comprises a single cable having each endconnected to the winding means adjacent each side of the door opening,the cable being slidably connected between its ends to the top of thedoor at each side thereof, so that if one drum Winds in cableiaster thanthe other, as a result, for example, of the cable piling up instead ofbeing evenly wound on the drum, cable will be passed from one side ofthe door to the other and the pull on the two sides of the door will beequalized.

The result of this construction is that cable equal to four times theheight of the door is trained over the pulleys at each side of the doorand three quarters of this cable is wound in during the movement of thedoor from fully closed to; fully open position. The over-all mechanicaladvantage is therefore 3:11. The initial lift is accomplished with amechanical advantage of 2:1 and as the opening of the door progresses,this mechanical advantage increases rapidly and then diminishes, but isnever less than 2:1.

As a prime mover, any type of means may be employed such as hand-chainsin connection with suitable gearing, or an electric, pneumatic orhydraulic motor. The invention may be applied to a door which consistsof a single closure membfi 'find to one having any number of horizontalIt door sections suitably articulated, such as are commonly installed inairdrome hangers and grain elevators.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the door, seen from inside the building,

Figure 2 is a partly sectional side elevation taken on the line 2-2 ofFigure 1,

Figure 3 is a detail of a portion remote from the door of the oppositetrackway to that shown in Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a plan of the power operating means and illustrates therelation of the door to its housing including the surrounding wall andthe door jamb,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan detail showing a cable pulley fixed tothe upper part of the door through which the horizontal force componentsis applied to the door,

Figure 6 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 88 of Figure 4,looking in the direction of the arrow,

Figure '7 is an enlarged section taken on the line 99 of Figure 6,

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view on the line lfilii of Figure 1,

Figure 9 is a fragmentary partly-sectional detail of a cable pulley onthe lower part of the v taken in the direction of the arrow in Figure 8.

By referring first to Figure 12, the principle of operation of the doorwill be understood. In this diagrammatic figure, for clarity, the dooris represented as a unit, but it will be understood that the operatingprinciples apply equally in cases where as in Figure 1 the doorcomprises a number of horizontal, articulated door panels. The numeral28 indicates one of a pair of plates fixedly secured as at 21 adjacentto each side of the door. Journalled in each plate is a spindle 22having winding drums 23 and 3i fixedly secured thereon. One end of acable 25 is secured to the drum 23. The cable is led directly from thedrum 23 and reeved around the pulley 25 secured to the lower part of oneside of the door 26, over the idler pulley 21 journalled to the plate28, and continues around the pulley 28 secured adjacent to the outerextremity of a substantially horizontal portion 29 of a trackway M1disposed adjacent to each side of the door 26. The horizontal portions29 of each trackway project above the door from the wall 2! and aresimilarly inclined upwardly at the outer ends, to facilitate downwardmovement of the door during closing operations. After passing roundpulley 28, the cable is returned to a pulley 35} mounted on the upperpart of door 25. The cable is then led across the door and disposed inconnection with correspondingly arranged pulleys mounted on the otherside of the door and on the other bracket and trackway, the end of thecable being finally secured to the drum 3!, seen in Figure 1.

It will be appreciated from Figure 12 that as the door is raised fromclosed position, the lower end 32 of the door moves at a slower rate ofspeed than does the top of the door 26. In the same time that the bottomof the door moves from the points A to Al, in the vertical portions ofthe trackways, the top of the door moves from B to Bl along the upperportions of the trackways. The bottom of the door has thus moved up thevertical trackways 33, substantially one half of the distance that thetop of the door has moved along the upper trackways 29, in the sametime. Since both ends of the cable 24 are simultaneously wound onto thedrums 23 and 3| during the revolution of the spindle 22, thetransporting efiort is applied to the door simultaneously via thecorresponding pulleys 3B and the corresponding pulleys 25. As the effortrequired to move the door horizontally from B to BI is less than thatrequired to move the door vertically from A to Al, the greater part ofthe total effort available is applied to pulling the points Bl towardsthe pulleys 28 and thus during this part of the transportation, amechanical advantage is obtained.

If, after pulleys 30 reach the corresponding points Bl, the greater partof the available effort were continued at the points Bl, such efiortwould be applied at an increasing mechanical disadvantage. At this stageof the operation, less effort is required to raise the door by liftingthe lower end 32. Accordingly, the greater part of the effort isautomatically transferred by the cable from the points BI and is exertedon the door at the points Al via the corresponding pulleys 25, Theresult is that between the points Al and B the greater part of theavailable effort applied by the spindle 22 to the cable 24 is employedas a vertical upwardly directed force component which causes the bottomof the door to be lifted from the points Al in the vertical trackwayssubstantially to the points B at the inner ends of the substantiallyhorizontal trackways. The top of the door is simultaneously transportedto corresponding points C adjacent to the pulleys 28. In this positionthe door is fully open and it is evident that a mechanical advantage isobtained during the entire period of transportation.

Similarly, when the movement of the spindle 22 is reversed, the cable 24is paid out by both drums and gravity exerts a diminishing downward pullon the door, more particularly on that part adjacent pulleys 25. Theinclination of the upper trackways facilitates the movement of therollers on the trackways during this phase of movement of the door. Whenthe pulleys 25 reach the points Al, the greatest eifort is automaticallytransferred to the pulleys 30, which are now at the points BI in thetrackw-ays, this efiort continuing until the pulleys 30 reach point B,at which position the door is fully closed and is once more vertical.The curve at the junction of the vertical and horizontal portions ofeach trackway helps to maintain smooth movement of the rollers in thetrackways during the last stage of a downward transportation and alsoduring the initial stages of an upward transportation. The last phase ofthe movement of the pulleys 30 around such curved sections of thetrackways also urges the top part of the door to close against the wallhousing.

As will be evident from consideration of the plan of the door and itshousing in Figure 4 provision is made firmly to close the edges I20 ofthe door both against the floor I21 and against its housing. The latterincludes door jambs or stops I22 which extend around the two sides andacross the top of the outside of the door opening. Properly to positionthe bottom edge I23 of the door against the floor of the opening,depressions egsrrgvca the bottom edge of the door. When the door is invertical, closed position, the bottom horizontal "edge I23 of the=door26is thus flush with thesurface of the floor.

As best seen in Figs. 1, 2and Btu-close thedoor laterally against theside stops I22 during the later stages of a downward transportation,apparatus at each 'side of the doorgenerally indicated by numeral I25 isprovided. By reference to Figure 2, it will be seen that theverticalportions f the trackways are supported in relation to the wallI21 bybrackets I26while the top portions of the track-ways are supportedfrom the roof by hangers I28. The brackets I26 are secured ta the wallI21 as by members I29 substantially at intervals corresponding to thepoints of contact of the vertical tangents to the guide rollers I 36 andI3I. The latter are mounted on spindles I32 which in the mascot"; "an,articulated door :form .the hinge pins between separate sections .asI33rand [L34 of the door.. Thebrackets 126 are provided adjacent theirextremities and remote from the wall of the building, with substantiallyhorizontal bores I35. Through each bore I35 a spindle I36 is disposed.The latter are each provided with a slotted lever I38 projectingradially from the end of thespindle remote from the guide rollers I39and I3I. At the opposite end of each spindle I36 an eccentric cam I3! issecured. Rotation of spindles I36 by the levers I38 thus rotates thecams I31. Connected to each lever I38 is a link rod I39 disposed as seenin Figure -1 in a generally vertical position, and normally urged byspring I40 ina direction away from the floor I2I. Pins I4! secured tothe shank of the rod I39 pass through the slots I42 in the levers I38and conmeet the rod I39 with the levers I38.

Secured to the bottom portion of the rod I39 as by member I91, is aprojection I43 disposed with its long axis in the direction of the door26. Projection I43 is of suflicient length to be engaged by the bottomedge I23 of the door during the later stages of downward transportationmovement of the latter. Elongated orifices I are formed in the verticalportions of the trackways disposed in positions substantiallycorresponding with the guide rollers I30 and I3I in accord with theposition of the latter when the door is in closed position.

When during downward movement of the door the bottom edge I23 of thedoor engages the projection I43, the link rods I39 are pushed downwardly against the tension of spring I49 to rotate the eccentric cams.The peripheral portions of the latter are thus caused to projectprogressively into the apertures I59 in the trackways. When the door islowered suiiiciently, the cams engage the guide rollers and force theminside the trackways in the direction of the door housing. This actioncontinues until the edges I20 of the door as seen in Fig. 4, are firmlywedged by the action of the cams against the wall jambs I22.

To aid this wedging action, the lower vertical portions of the trackwaysare provided (Fig. 10) with inclined portions I5I, each having aninclined surface i52 of which the lower portion projects towards thedoor and functions when engaged by the rollers to urge the guide rollersand door in the direction of the door jambs. Such wedge means may beformed integral with the trackway but preferably consists of wedges eachtrackway 29.

formed separately and secured one at the bottom end ofeach trackway. I

To prevent the door .Efrom sagging when itdsin horizontal positionswhere it is entirely supported by the trackways, tie rods I53-aredisposed :horizontally across theinnerf'ace of the door. These aresecured atconvenient vertical intervals by means of suitable anglemembers I54ywhichare connected to the rods 1 53 and securedto the dooras at I55.

By reference to Figures 4 7 inclusive, the mechanical :details of thebrackets I556 supporting the upper pulleys 3!] will be understood. Eachbracket 166 is formed with a'pair of projecting members I51 and I258,correspondingly boredon a horizontal axis to receive a spindle I53.

On the outer ends of spindles I59 are also mounted guide rollers I'lll,one being located in Also mounted on each spindle 159 is an idler pulley=I69,-disposed with its sheave in alignment with the portion I62 of thecable 2 4, to actas a guide for the latter (Fig. 5). An orifice I63 isformed in the centre partof the projections 15? and 158 through whichthe cable 24 passes tothe other side of door, to facilitate the equaldistribution of the .horizon'taland vertical forces appliedby the cableto each side of the door. The cable pulleys 38 are mountedion each outerprojection 15.1, the axis of rotation of these pulleys'being'vertical.Each pulley .30 (Figure 9) is rotatably mounted on aspindlelfifii'secured between the retaining members .160. and

'TI 6'I. 'The latter are suitably secured as by .the

welds I62 and M3" to the outersides .Ii64 of'the projections 4251. .Asthe cable 24 rides overpulleys 3.6, at opposite ends of the upper partof the door, the latter ithus compensate for any slight difference ofpull which may be exerted on the door from opposite ends of the cable,due to any slight difference in the speeds of rotation of the drums 23and Lil.

Where a door is composed of horizontal sections as 533 and I34, theguide rollers I 39 and I3I are secured at the outer extremities ofspindles, which form the pins of the hinges I83 be tween each doorsection. In the case of the guide rollers I16 and I12, their spindlesI59 and 112 respectively are journalled in brackets I56 and 513respectively, secured by members I 64 to the top and bottom of each sideof the door. The preferred sectional form of the guide rollers andtrackways is seen in Figure 8. These latter are formed with a lip I14 ofa height less than the radius of the guide rollers and disposed at theinner edges of the trackways. The total inside height of each trackwayis of course, greater than the diameter of the rollers as the differencebetween these dimensions determines the extent to which the door can belaterally closed against the stops I22 by operation of the apparatusI25. In all positions of the door, the guide rollers and correspondingspindles are clear of the lips I14.

To ensure that the cable is wound evenly on to the drums, the windingdrums 23 and 3I (Figure 11) are provided with shrouds I16, each havingan opening I16 of a size adequate to receive the cable. It will be seenfrom Figure 4 that reduction gearing R in connection with the motor isprovided. The input shaft I86 turns at motor speed and is connected toone end of the reduction train of R. The output shaft 22 of thereduction train turns at a substantially reduced 7 of different doors bychanging the sizes of the sprockets l8! and I88, or by changing the gearratios of R or by changing the diameters of the winding drums.

What I claim is:

1. The combination in an overhead door structure of, a door framedefining an opening, tracks at each side of the door opening extendingvertically from a point near the bottom of the door opening to a curveabove the door opening and then substantially horizontally away from theplane of the door frame, a door, bearing members at each side of thedoor co-operating with said tracks, cable winding means fixedly mountednear the top of the door opening, and cable means extended from the topof the door to said winding means and, between the top of the door andthe winding means, over at least one pulley mounted at each of thefollowing stations: a fixed portion of the structure horizontallyremoved from the top of the door opening and at approximately the levelof the top of the door opening, a fixed portion of the structureadjacent the top of the door opening, and a portion of the door adjacentthe bottom thereof, the cable means being trained,

over said pulleys in that order and passing upwardly from the lastmentioned station to the winding means.

2. The combination in an overhead door structure of, a door framedefining an opening, tracks at each side of the door opening extendingvertically from a point near the bottom of the door opening to a curveabove the door opening and then substantially horizontally away from theplane of the door frame, a door, roller members at each side of the doorco-operating with said tracks, at each side of the structure a series ofpulleys comprising a pulley mounted on a fixed portion" of the structurehorizontally removed from the top of the door opening and atapproximately the level thereof,a pulley mounted on a fixed portion ofthe structure adjacent the top of the door opening and a pulley mountedone portion of the door near the bottom thereof, cable winding meansfixedly mounted near the top of the door opening and cable meansextended from the top of the door at each side thereof over one of theseries of pulleys and passing upwardly from the last-mentioned pulley ofeach series to the winding means.

3. The combination as defined in claim 2 in which said cable meanscomprises a single cable having each end connected to said winding meansadjacent each side of the door opening, the cable being slidablyconnected between its ends to the top of the door at each side thereof.a

GORDON RAYMOND COULSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,276,191 Dittman et a1 Aug. 20,1918 1,465,695 Stewart Aug. 21, 1923 1,661,719 Edwards Mar. 6, 19281,792,119 Peelle Feb. 10, 1931 1,897,391 Kelly Feb. 14, 1933 1,916,651Beeman et a1 'July 4, 1933 1,927,559 Talen Sept. 19, 1933 2,008,000Brunst et al July 16, 1935 2,189,019 Rowe Feb. 6, 1940 2,254,150Kingsland 1 Aug. 26; 1941 2,277,932 Mowers et al Mar. 31, 1942

